Cravings
by gabbwee
Summary: post The Golden Lily. Fluff. Gelato.I wanted gelato. Pomegranate gelato to be exact. And I wanted it now. At twelve at night. I, Sydney Katherine Sage, was doing the unthinkable. I was craving sugar. and those green, so green, eyes. But I could withstand it. I know I could. Right? oneshot.
1. Chapter 1

Cravings

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So this is a little fluffish piece(i'm still not sure exactly what is considered a fluff. I just finished The Golden Lily and am so ready for the Indigo curse! Eek, can't wait! Adrian and Sydney have to end up together! that have too! *fangirl scream* review and Enjoy!

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_Gelato._I wanted gelato. Pomegranate gelato to be exact. And I wanted it now. At twelve at night. I, Sydney Katherine Sage, was doing the unthinkable. I was craving sugar.

Rolling over in my slightly uncomfortable bed, I clutched the feather pillow closer to my cold body; forcing the thoughts of sugar away. Only problem was when I wasn't craving that sweet taste of pink pomegranate gelato, it saw green. Green was everywhere. Those eyes haunted me day and night, sneaking into my head when I will I tried to work. That and pomegranate gelato. I simply couldn't get away.

Telling myself it was just because I couldn't have it. That's why I couldn't have it. That's why I wanted it. Because Adrian had it.

Coffee didn't even taste good anymore. Just the thought of coffee, _bitter next to the gelato_, made me want to hurl. Food wasn't the same either. Nothing was appetizing. Salads, fruits, everything was lost to me. I didn't want any of it. No, only the pomegranate gelato.

Sighing, I rolled over again. Twelve thirty-four blinked brightly in my face, the alarm clock played classical music softly; it was supposedly supposed to help you fall asleep. Lies. All lies. I only needed to wait seven hours and twenty-six more minutes until I could lose myself in the large bland hallways of school. Only seven hours and twenty-six minutes. I could make it that long.

Fingers twitching, I tried to count sheep. Another tactic to falling asleep.

1,_ Adrian reached out and pulled me to him._

2, _One hand on my waist the other behind my neck._

3, _He tipped my head up._

4._He lowered his lips—NO!_

_No, _ couldn't allow myself to think of that beautiful, no—dreadful—, moment.

Shaking off the thoughts of those red lips, such red lips, I threw the pale brown duvet off and decided to be proactive while I was wasting the night hours. I had some essays due next week, writing would take my mind away from _him_.

Powering up my laptop, I waited impatiently while it slowly awoke from its deep slumber, bright pixels flashed in my face, too happy, too peppy. Pulling up, a blank document, I stared at it waiting for the essay to form in my mind. _Nothing_. I couldn't think of anything, except that pomegranate gelato and green eyes. Always green.

Metal met with metal with a loud snap as I slammed the laptop screen down in anger. Frustration spread like wildfire; anguish slithering through my veins. I couldn't work. I couldn't eat. I couldn't enjoy a cup of coffee. A simple spell I couldn't even accomplish. Even if I was against them, I. Did. Not. Fail. And I had. It had merely smoked and sparks few occasionally out of it. _It wasn't supposed to do that._

"_Damn you, _Adrian" I cursed quietly, more angry at myself for allowing him to take up my thoughts; to slyly pass through my walls into my mind. Into my heart. Standing up and stretching my tired bones, I fought to ignore the craving burning a hole through my empty stomach. How many more days could I avoid him before I went crazy.

Two weeks, I'd done this. Fourteen days since that wonderful disastrous kiss. three hundred and thirty-six hours since I pushed him away. Twenty thousand one hundred sixty minutes since my heart broke. One million two hundred nine thousand six hundred seconds since I walked away.

I hadn't really seen the outside world since then. Telling my 'family' that I was catching up on alchemist work. _Don't worry_. Little did they know that I spent most of this time staring at the whitewashed walls thinking of those warm lips, and oh so green eyes.

Jill stopped by once, concern bright on her delicate face. How was I feeling, she had asked, the worry all consuming, Adrian wasn't mad, no, he was worried. Worried about my health. The gelato was still there, right where he left it. Just in case. Just. In. Case. She had left shortly after, telling me she was going with Eddie and Angeline to feed, worry ripping away to show hurt. Angeline and Eddie dating now weren't sitting well with her.

Groaning, I sat back onto my bed. I was confined. Four white walls closed in on me, towering over me. I needed out. I needed out now._ I needed pomegranate gelato. I wanted him._

Pulling the first set of shoes out from my now disorganized closet, one black van the other beige, I shoved them onto my sock free feet. Clutching the keys to Latte in one hand, I slipped out the door swiftly. My desires weighing more heavily then my self-control.

Gloomy blackness rested all around me, faint shadows of other doors mere blobs in the dark hallway. I couldn't get out fast enough. Nearly stampeding down the stairs, I forgot to remember the hall monitor; our own personal security guard. Slowing quickly, I slowly walked the rest of the way.

There. Sitting in a rolling desktop chair, graying head slumped forward in sleep. Drool a snail trail down her wrinkled wrist. _Gross._ Was the only security guard, asleep.

Rapidly and silently, I ran by; breath held tight in my lungs. Breathing seemed unsafe; one breath could wake her up. One breath could send me into expulsion. I couldn't risk that. Well maybe I could. Braydon_ had_ called me irresponsible. And heck, I was doing just that. Being irresponsible.

Slowly opening the door and closing it on the way out, I wondered out into the parking lot. Latte sat sleeping in silence; shiny metal in the moonlight. Discretely opening the door, I hopped in and started it.

Sliding free of school, my car wondered the streets of Palm Spring. Not sure where to go. No coffee shop in its right mind would be open at this time. Not even an ice cream parlor would be open. The only open places were dinky convenient stores and a few homeless shelters.

I thought about wondering the streets, but everything still felt unsafe since the warriors had come by. No shadow in any ally or corner looked safe anymore. Filth covered people wondered the streets, as well, carrying carts of useless items. _Their treasures_. Definitely not safe. For me or Latte.

Taking another turn, I continued to drive through slumbering town not quite sure where I was going. At another stop sign, I took another left. Then a right. Another left. I didn't know I was unconsciously driving to Adrian's apartment until I had stopped out front. All his lights were off. Save one. The main room light_. His studio light._ He wasn't asleep.

_Contain yourself, Sydney_, I snapped at myself; bottling the sudden want, no, _need_, to race up the concrete steps to his apartment and pound on the door until he opened up. Hugging him would come next, throwing my arms around his strong neck; I wouldn't stop myself from nuzzling into his neck; smelling his cologne. And maybe, just maybe, I would kiss him. I wanted to. _That warmth_. That fiery sensation that ran through my body like electricity, I wanted to feel that again. Once more.

Banging my head on the steering wheel, I tried to force the sudden images of Adrian kissing me out of my mind. I couldn't have them. We couldn't be together, it was wrong. We didn't belong together. I could get in trouble for even thinking of vampire in _that _kind of way. It was impossible.

An abrupt tapping pulled me out of my mental scolding, I jumped and screamed. I blushed at the figure peering into my window, one knuckle raised to tap on the glass again. _Adrian._

I opened Latte's driver's door and slide out, watching the ground as I went. I didn't want to meet those sad eyes, those concerned stares. Wrapping my arms around my stomach, I peered at Adrian from the corner of my eyes. We stood there in silence, a tense mood filling the space between us.

"Sage," he started, a sudden smile pulling at his lips, "did you just break curfew?"

"It's not what you think," I cried loudly, lying through my teeth, it probably was exactly what he thought, "I wanted gelato."

That infuriating smile grew wider, fuller, "Oh, don't let me stop you," he gestured up the stairs his smile growing more dazzling by the seconds.

Without fully looking him in the face, I turned and swiftly bound up the stairs. The door was closed, when I tried it, it was locked as well. Adrian hadn't even been home.

"So," Adrian continued conversationally, "do you always wear clothes in dark shades of red plaid and yellow and shoes that don't match to bed?"

Red heated my face, I couldn't believe I had forgotten to change out of my pajamas or that I had put to different colored shoes on. Bright red plaid fleece pants, ones I wore out of respect, I had received it from my sister several Christmases ago and the yellow tank top had been Angeline's but her _bust_ no longer made it fit for weekends, yes they didn't match but they were certainly the most comfortable, "Shut up," I muttered, just for the sake of saying something. Breaking the silence that seemed to fill in after every spoken word.

"You know what," Adrian teased softly, acting as if nothing had ever come between us, as if we weren't standing at his doorstep in the middle of the night, "I think that's the most skin I've seen showing on you yet."

"Just unlock the door, Adrian," I ordered sternly, suddenly feeling naked even when I knew everything was covered, still not meeting his green eyes. Those gorgeous emerald eyes.

He did so slowly, opening the door and motioning me in. I wrinkled my nose confusion. For once the apartment didn't smell like smoke or alcohol, only paint. Lots and lots of paint. I turned to ask why only to find Adrian setting his paints back out on wooden end table. Several new bottles sitting next to him. One a brilliant purple, the other a pale shade of gold, and the last the color of wet sand. Brown, yet gold. That explains why he was gone.

"I didn't know paint stores were open at midnight?" I said quietly, watching Adrian mix several of the gold together; a deep concentration twisting his features. A concentration I only saw when he was painting or doing something he particularly liked.

"Yeah, one downtown is," Adrian said absently, looking up and frowning when he noticed I was still standing there, "Well, Sage, don't you have gelato to eat? I did stop smoking to see you eat it."

"Right," I muttered my reason for being here. My purpose for sneaking out of my school, for possibly ruining my school career, "Gelato."

"Don't sound so pained," Adrian smiled without looking at me, still intent on mixing his gold's.

Picking my away through his mess of paint and half painted canvases, I made my way to the freezer. The door swung open easily, there sat the little carton. Crying out in bold letters to be opened and eat. Suddenly, not as appetizing as it was before. I felt like I was committing a crime by eating all the sugars, fats, and calories inside the little container. And I was doing it in the middle of the night. Another no, no on my part. But I had come here for this. So, now, I had to follow through.

Taking a slightly bent backward silver spoon that Adrian must have gotten at a garage sale or something, and then grabbing the carton from the fridge, I made my way back to the plaid couch were Adrian sat mixing his paints. Taking a seat, I debated opening the container or setting it on the table and lying that about eating it. What was wrong with me? One moment I craved the creamy taste of the pomegranate gelato and the next I felt guilty by just looking at it. Why?

Adrian turned suddenly, leaning over with his paint covered hands and removing the small paper covering, voice serious, "we made a bet, you have to eat at least a whole serving."

Placing the lid onto the oak table he watching me in anticipation, waiting for me to take a bite. I still felt hurt about what he had said about my aversion to food, and even though he promised to never mention it ever again, he was watching me; paying more attention than I have ever seen Adrian apply to anything. And despite the awkward air, Adrian seemed to not notice it; instead acting as if nothing had transpired two weeks ago.

Scooping a tiny blob of pomegranate gelato into my mouth. Flavor exploded in my mouth, the fruit tasted wonderful in frozen dessert form. Despite the sugary taste left in my mouth afterword, I wanted to eat more. _Just a little more_.

"Don't watch me," I muttered, noticing Adrian was still watching me, though a smile had lightened his previous serious mood. He was sated, _for now._

No sarcasm, or Adrian logic left his mouth, instead he did something unlike him. He kept his lips closed and went back to his paints, allowing me to eat my gelato in peace.

Taking another small, but larger, bite, I felt my tongue go into frozen heaven. Who knew gelato in the middle of the night could taste so good. So deliciously unhealthy.

Hours passed by, Adrian working on a painting, while I slowly worked away at the gelato. I knew I should stop eating, but I couldn't stop myself. My spoon kept taking small pieces of that amazing pomegranate flavor and pushing them into my mouth.

Finally, at one point, I placed both the spoon and carton as far away from me as possible. There was no way I was going to eat anymore. No, not a morsel more. That was too much sugar and calories. More than one can of carbonated sugar syrup people called soda.

Maneuvering myself on the old lumpy couch, I watched Adrian work. His tongue pushed out, touching the left corner of his mouth in concentration. Those green, green, eyes occasionally looked up from the easel to look at me, before dipping back down in deep concentration. He had paint splattered all over his wrinkled shirt, new ones streaking across the loose blue jeans as he worked away. And yet he still looked good, so unfairly good.

There was something so intriguing, and comforting about being here. Maybe it was the yellow walls or Adrian; in all his good looking supermodel glory. Whatever it was pushed me toward the world of sleep. A place I'd rarely visited as of late. A place that the last two weeks I'd been deprived from.

"Can we stay friends?" I found myself yawning, curling up closer into the plaid couch. Closing my eyes, a new world already starting to take my cares away.

Just before I drifted away, I got my answer. Soft words barely even a whisper.

"Of course, Sage, _of course_." I fell asleep with a clear conscious and an even lighter heart.


	2. Chapter 2

_Unfortunately, I decided to make this a two-shot because I felt there wasn't enough…closure. May the fluffiness begin! _

_Check these songs out they really fit the mood of this two-shot. Paramore- renegade and Demi lovato- catch me (and I know what your think Demi Lovato really?! Normally, I don't listen to her but I heard this song on accident and well it fit so well.) We the kings- say you like me (this one reminds me of how Adrian would be)._

_Don't you think instead of getting angry and mad like he did with Rose, he would be patient, he said he understood Sydney. So does that mean he would be willing to wait for her to come to him? Thoughts anyone? _

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Green. Fields of jade. Trees of bright emerald. Aquamarine tinted water lapped at the soft tendrils of olive grass. And a soft pink sunset. The color of a fragile love. The color of pomegranate gelato. _He_ was everywhere. Even in my dreams. I simply couldn't get away.

There I lay, the green world unraveling around me. The pink sky missing its giant yellow sun, no white clouds in sight. _I seriously needed better dreams_. The ground was lumpy beneath me. Scratchy, uncomfortable. Warmth cuddled close to me, a blanket of soft heat. I rolled over in an attempt to find a more grass like feeling. Only when I rolled over, I fell. Down a sudden black abyss that tore the green, that beautiful green, and comforting pink away from me.

Head slamming into a hard floor, my eyes shot open to a white ceiling stared back at me. Cold wood floor bit at the exposed skin, freezing to the touch. A large, unfamiliar, blue fleece blanket twisted around me, tying my legs together and twisting uncomfortably underneath my tank top. Where was I?

An ugly plaid couch sat next to me, its lumpy surface laughing at my fall. _I was still at Adrian's. Oh God, _I was still at Adrian's! that thought switched to a more important statement. _School, I was going to be late for school! _Jumping up, my feet caught in the soft fabric of the blanket, sending me back down toward the icy ground. My head hit wood, more pain shot through my skull; a canvas hit the ground with a plop. _Oh no_, Adrian's art!

Wiggling quickly out of the blanket, I scooped up the canvas; hoping the paint had dried and wasn't sitting there because it was wet. My finger came away clean, not a speck of wet paint on my fingers. Gold brown eyes stared back at me from the canvas, the same shade as my own. They cried of sadness, imprisonment hiding just beneath the surface. The same blonde hair styled messily around the head; unlike my usual controlled style. It screamed untidy; unprepared. Even that same golden lily reflected the light, sitting diligently on a cheek that looked very similar. I was looking at myself. Bright yellow and purple swirled out, bright and wonderful; diluting the background. In the painting, I was sitting on the plaid couch, a familiar blue fleece blanket wrapped around my shoulders. Recently it looked as if someone had added a small container of pomegranate gelato. It sat unopened on the ground next to me, a tiny, slightly bent, silver spoon resting on the top

Stepping back quickly, my foot tripped on an empty bottle of paint; sending me back to the floor. _Again._ Alabaster ceiling stared down at me, the yellow walls caved in around me; laughing at me. Fear welling up in my chest. _Adrian had painted me. Me. He painted me. _He was serious about this. About having me.

"Can't you sleep in like every other normal human does?" Adrian rubbed his eyes tiredly, his loose green t-shirt rising to show a perfectly flat pale expanse of skin. He stood in the hallway, stretching his limbs slowly; clearly not ready to wake up. The crash. Or crashes. Must have woken him up.

"Why didn't you wake me up?!" I scrambled up; afraid he noticed that I had noticed the painting of me. Careful to not get tangled or step on anything that could send me sprawled out embarrassingly on the floor, I moved away from the canvas. It was one thing to fall when he wasn't there, but my pride wouldn't take it if I fell while he was staring at me. Staring at me with the dazzling green eyes.

"You looked tired, " Adrian shrugged, shuffling into the kitchen sleepily. If he had noticed me looking at the art, then he didn't say anything, "Don't worry, Jill's taking care of it. Today is _your_ day off." He called, the rustling of cupboards being opened and closed drowning out some of his voice.

"No," I shook my head in disagreement, "I _can't_ miss school." My grades could be affected; I would be swamped with homework for weeks. A shiver ran down my back at the thought of Jill _taking care of it, _I had a feeling that compulsion was going to be involved. What if it didn't work, what if I got caught. And suspended. Or worse, _expelled. What if the alchemist got word of my skip?_

"_Calm down_, Sage, it'd not the end of the world," Adrian walked back into the living room smiling; a breathtakingly smug smile.

Holding his hands up, he gestured back into the kitchen. In one hand he held a bright purple box of cereal; an animated vampire in a bowl of chocolate cereal with marshmallows on the cover. The other held two small bowls stacked together.

"Isn't that a children's cereal_?"_ Frowning and wrinkling my nose in disgust, "I don't eat breakfast?" The fact that he would even buy something so high in sugar, it could put anyone in a sugar coma, was beyond me. Or that he would buy something with a cartoon vampire on it, for that matter. I knew he indulged in unhealthy habits but this one simply went over my head.

"Excuse me?" a level glare was turned my way, that seriousness flicking back on like someone had just flipped a light switch; the light switch of seriousness. Or maybe it was an outlet, he simply plugged the cord of seriousness in when he needed to do an attractive glare.

"Isn't that a children's cereal?" I repeated knowing it wasn't what Adrian was asking about. Folding my arms and trying my best to look as serious as one could look in plaid bottoms and a loose yellow tank top. Apparently it didn't work, Adrian's emerald eyes narrowed; eyes darkening to a hard jade.

"You don't—," he started and then stopped; opening his mouth he closed it again.

He seemed to be debating his next words, apparently not finishing the comment won out. Muttering darkly under his breath, he turned on his heels and walked back into the kitchen. Something slammed in the kitchen, the sparse contents of the fridge shook. Then, silence. Perfect tranquil silence, no more anger.

He walked back in, a glass of water, not alcohol, in one hand the other holding a diet soda. Holding the soda out to me, he eyed me from over his glass rim. I took the diet soda, I didn't really want to drink it either; but it was a better alternative to having to choke down even just one sugar coated bite filled with marshmallows. The gelato was enough for a whole month.

"You know you're a piece of work, Sydney," he sighed making his way over to the couch, his lips caressing my name as he said them. Even though he acted as if nothing had ever happened between us, the electricity was still there. That comfort and peace, I got even when he was angry with me. That little tingle that dug at my heart every time my actual name was expelled from his mouth.

"You're one to talk," I muttered, instead of taking a seat next to him on the couch, I chose a stool nearby. The idea of sitting next to him was intoxicating, but if I sat next to him all my self-control would disappear. Blow into the wind like miniscule shreds of paper. We were just friends now. _Just friends._ And it was going to stay that way. We needed to keep that professional line between us; we needed to be separated.

"Do you see this," Adrian held up the glass of water for me to inspect, "this is water. And I haven't smoked in two and a half weeks." A smug look crossed his face, he was impressed with himself. Like a kid that had successfully stolen a cookie from an off limits cookie jar. _I was impressed with him, but I shouldn't care._

That explained the smell, or lack of. Turpentine and paint, instead of cigarettes and alcohol. He'd replaced his addiction with art, which also explained the mountain of half-finished and finished canvases overflowing around the studio. I briefly wondered what his art teacher thought of Adrian's sudden plethora of artwork. Was this sudden switch detrimental to his_ own_ health?

"Oh," I found myself at a loss for words, not quite sure what to say now. Before the incident we probably would've still been passing snarky quips back and forth. Never once encountering an awkward silence. I had absolutely no idea what to do in this kind of situation. Maybe there was a book on awkward silences?

The time, eleven twenty-nine, blinked brightly from the digital clock sitting on the wall, reminding me that I didn't have time for awkward moments. Reminding me today was definitely not a weekend. Jill may have _taken care of things, _but if I wanted to keep my grades and not fall behind then I needed to leave. Now.

"I need to get back," I jumped up, catching a foot on one of the stools cheap wooden legs. Closing my eyes, I braced for impact. Only I didn't hit the ground, which I seemed to be seeing a lot this morning, but a warm hard surface that toppled over with me, a warm hard surface with even warmer hands that grabbed my waist. Another crash sounded, a canvas hit me smack in the head before sliding off to the ground. _This was chalking up to be a horrible morning._

A laugh burst out from under me, a flat stomach convulsing in humor. bright and alluring, like a summer lightning that filled up the sky; always followed by the deep angry yells of thunder that caused you to hide under your blankets. I peeked up from under my eyelashes, only to meet brilliant green eyes. So close. So very, very close.

The laughter died, a blush flared across my cheeks. This couldn't be happening. This. Couldn't. be. Happening. I get up to leave to get rid of the temptation of being here only to fall onto said temptation. It was like God was trying to test my determination. _Or break it._

Scarlet lips were so close to me, his breath warm across my face. Those eyes, those eyes that were always on my mind. _So tempting_. But I couldn't have it. It was against everything I knew. It wouldn't work. It couldn't.

I tried to roll off him. To save myself the embarrassment of still being on top of him. To save myself from thinking about kissing those lips. To save myself from _actually _doing it. Arms stopped me. Instead they pulled me closer, holding me hostage.

"Stay," Adrian whispered, his face suddenly nuzzled into my un-brushed morning hair. There goes acting as if nothing had ever happened. There goes friendship.

"Adrian, let me go," I pushed feebly at his chest, this shouldn't be happening. His restraints shouldn't feel so nice; like what home should feel like. _No_, moroi and humans didn't go together. It didn't happen. It couldn't, "_Adrian_. Let go."

It must have been something in my voice, desperation; _fear_. Whatever it was, Adrian let go like I'd burned him. I rolled off him, standing up at soon as I could. Without meeting his eyes, I grabbed my keys off the little coffee table. The pomegranate gelato next to the keys a mere puddle in its soggy container now.

"_Still friends_," Adrian promised, stopping me in my tracks as I headed toward the door. Getting up and carefully, concern written all over his face, picking up his painting. _The painting of me. _He let out a small sigh, as he looked at the picture for any damages.

I thought for a moment, allowing his words to sink in, I did have to work with him even after these confusing, heart wrenching moments, "still friends," I agreed.

Opening the door, I left the apartment for the second time in a row. This time the heartbreak didn't claw at my insides. Instead it was regret. I wanted to go back. I wanted those passionate kisses, those cute moments that Jill used to talk about having. I wanted. I wanted _him. _But it wouldn't happen. It couldn't. Just friends was better. Safer.

"Hey, Sage," he called from the top of the steps, I looked back, "I'll get you eventually," that brilliant wonderfully tantalizing smile in place. And despite the anxiety burrowing itself into my stomach, I believed him. I believed him fully.

**_Fin._**


End file.
